Rock Bottom
by schizwiz
Summary: Takes place ages ago after the SpikeMolly break up. Spike takes drastic measures after the break up, will his brothers be able to pick up the pieces?
1. shocking news

Bubba cut infront of the car in the next lane; the driver blasted his horn but Bubba paid no attention. He tried to reach D'Von on his cell phone one more time as he exited the highway. There was no answer, so he left a message and headed for the medical center. No one had been able tell him what was wrong with Spike, only that he was rushed to the emergency room about an hour ago and was in critical condition. He found a parking spot near the front enterance of the hospital and went inside. The nurse at the front desk nonchalently directed him to the third floor ICU, without even looking up from emery board. Bubba rang for the elevator and took a deep breath. He and Spike hadn't spoken in months; not since he had started seeing Molly. Bubba wasn't even sure Spike would want to see him. The truth was, Bubba was glad when he heard they had broken up, but couldn't believe how it had happened. Spike had a kind of disease. He threw himself heart first into things, especially romance, with and unmeasurable sense of passion and commitment. Normally that would be an admirable quality, however, it usually left his little brother drained and disappointed. In spite of that, Spike always managed to pick himself up and keep going, that was one thing Bubba had always admired about his brother. The doors opened on the third floor and Bubba was directed to the waiting room. D'von finally returned Bubba's ohone call and was on his way to the hospital. Bubba hung up when he saw the doctor coming towards him.

"Mr.Dudley?" Bubba stood and took his hand. The man looked like he'd been awake for about a week.

"How is my brother," Bubba asked? The doctor motioned for Bubba to follow him and they headed down the hallway. They stopped infront of a room with a large window near the door. The was a curtain drawn infront of it, but Bubba suspected Spike was in there. "How is he? What happened?"

"Your brother is in critical condition. The overdose placed siginificant strain on his heart and lungs, it's too soon to tell the extent of the damage."

"Overdose?"

"We're not sure exactly what happened, but it appears that Spike overdosed on pain medication he was perscribed for a neck injury. When he was found he was in cardiac arrest. We have him on oxygen to relieve some of the pressure on his heart, he's drifting in and out of conciousness. We have him on suicide watch." Bubba could hardly believe what he was hearing. He stared at the doctor blankly and scratched his head.

"You must've made a mistake Doc,"Bubba said, almost laughing," there's no way my brother would never have done something like that."

"We're pretty posotive. The bottle was only two days old and it was empty when he was found."

"Who found him?"

"His roommate." Bubba looked at the floor in disbelief.

"You're sure this is what happened..."The doctor nodded solemnly.

"I'm afraid so."

"Can I see him?" The doctor nodded.

"He is in here. He very weak and probably won't be able to speak." Bubba nodded and reached for the knob on door in front of him.


	2. Spike

Spike lay perfictly still in the darkness. He was afraid to move, afraid he might disturb a tube or wire and send people flooding into the room. He had always hated hospitals and doctors; he just wanted to be left alone. He could hear voices in the hallway and strained to hear what they were saying. He imagined two doctors in chrisp white doctors casually deciding his fate over cups of mocca latte. He figured they would send him away, to a cozy hospital somewhere upstate, with sedating white walls. They would come in any moment and sympathetically inform him that he would spend the rest of his life drooling in a padded cell. One of the voices sounded familiar. He listened more closely and finally recognized his brother. So, they had brought in a relative in to tell him he was heading to the looney bin. Dread of the doctor's sympathetic diagnosis wuickly turned into a hope. Bubba would probably sing it to him, he might even dance a little. He could pretend to be asleep and hope that his brother would not try to wake him. No that wouldn't work; Bubba had probably been practicing the happy announcement since he had heard the news, nothing would keep him from delivering it. Perhaps when they let Bubba in he could tear at the tubes in his arms and they would send Bubba away to keep him calm. The door opened and Spike could see his brother's menacing silhouette in the doorway, but he didn't come any closer. Spike's muscles tensed as he prepared to through a fit; why was Bubba taking so long? His brother made a funny sort of gasping sound and leaned against the door frame. The light from the hallway was hurting Spike's eyes and his brother was making him increasingly nervous. Bubba took a few steps forward but stopped and stared again. He couldn't seem to stop moving his hands; finally he shoved them in his pockets. Bubba started forward again and sat in a chair beside Spike's bed. He kept his eyes down and his jaw tight; he looked almost afraid to speak. Finally without turning his head, he spoke.

"Hi," he said in a quiet, saky voice. Spike wasn't sure how to respond. This timid, scared behavior was not the reaction he had been expecting from his bully of an older brother.

"Hi," he answered. His own voice was labored and raspy; that seemed to startle Bubba even more than his appearance. This was the most Bubba and he had said to one another in months; the expression on Bubba's face told Spike he realized it as well. Bubba cleared his throat and sat back in the chair. Spike wanted to ask if they were sending him away, but Bubba didn't look ready to answer that question yet.

"How are you feeling," Bubba asked? Spike shrugged a little. The tubes in his nose made it difficult to talk. Bubba nodded and searched for another topic of conversation. As the silence drew on he became increasingly interested in the pattern of lines on his hands. "D'Von is on his way; he ought to be here soon."

"I told them not to bother you." That seemed to surprise Bubba a little.

"They didn't. I heard from someone else." This time is was Spike who was surprised. Bubba had come of his own accord? Not only that but D'Von was making a special trip as well. His entire family was dropping everything to come and see him and all it took was a near death experience. That almost made him laugh a little. Bubba noticed and sat up a little as the smile cracked Spike's lips. It was the first time he had even thought about smiling in weeks. "They told me you were in the hospital, but they didn't tell me why." Spike looked away. "What happened?" Spike didn't answer, he couldn't; he had no answer to give. He couldn't be sure exactly what happened; all he knew was what he had been told. He couldn't remember why he had taken all those pills. He must have been drunk. He didn't drink really, but you would have to be drunk to have that kind of courage. Bubba sat back, realizing that Spike had no answer to give. Bubba's phone rang and he answered. "D'Von is here," he said as he hung up,"You won't believe that, but they don't believe we're realted. Imagine that!"


End file.
